A Maltese man was arrested on Christmas Eve in what is believed to have been a major operation conducted by Customs Department and the police.

One News reports that 150 kilogrammes of cannabis were seized in a car belonging to a Maltese national who was on his way from Sicily to Malta.

The man, aged 42, was arrested by the police.

In a statement, the Customs Department said that at 7pm, while checking vehicles arriving from Pozzallo by MV Jean De La Valette, duty Customs Officers from the Enforcement stopped a vehicle - a gold Peugeot Expert - for a routine check control.

The driver, of Msida, was asked if he had anything to declare to Customs and he replied that he had a few alcohol bottles for personal use and some toys for his children.

During a vehicle search, suspicious plastic bales were noted containing what it looked like cannabis grass.  Immediately, the Customs Officers sought the assistance of the Police from the Rapid Intervention Unit and the Anti Drug Squad, the statement said.

it was then decided that a joint Customs/Police vehicle search should be continued at the Police Head Quarters. During this search the following items were elevated: ten plastic bales containing One Hundred and Fifty (150) Kilos Cannabis Grass; one Beretta .25cl Automatic pistol ser. No. BER57111V and one magazine containing eight bullets; and undeclared €36,210 in cash.

All items, together with the vehicle, were withheld for further investigation.

A police statement said that Magistrate Grazio Mercieca is conducting an inquiry. The man will be arraigned on Tuesday before Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras, and will be charged with imporaitn cannabis, possession of drugs not for personal use, possession of an unlicensed weapon, not declaring money and money laundering. The prosecution will demand his assets to be frozen.

In a separate operation, on Christmas Eve, at 6.45pm, Customs Officers from the Enforcement Unit had also stopped a VW Touran driven by a 31-year-old Syrian national. Asked if he had anything to declare to Customs he replied in the negative though a number of bags containing water pipe tobacco were clearly visible.

In fact, 48 Kilos “ AL FAKHER”  Shisha Water Pipe Tobacco were elevated from his vehicle. The items and the vehicle were retained by Customs and the passenger is expected to be arraigned in court.

On Saturday, at 8.15pm, Customs Officers at MIA, clearing passengers just arriving from Istanbul, stopped a Georgean national, who was passing through the “nothing to declare” channel, and performed a luggage scan. It transpired that the 64-year-old passenger was smuggling into the country the amount of 100 fake euro notes of 200 each amounting to 20,000 euro. Police from Economic Crimes Unit was duly informed and the passenger was taken to court and given a suspended jail sentence.